used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
cause to be bored
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
captivenounUS /ˈkæptɪv/
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
clamberedverbUS /ˈklæmbərd/
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
cliffnounUS /klɪf/
a steep high face of rock
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
creeknounUS /kriːk/
a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
cursedadjectiveUS /kɜːrst/
deserving a curse; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
errandnounUS /ˈerənd/
a short trip that is taken in the performance of a necessary task or mission
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
fastnessnounUS /ˈfæstnəs/
a rate (usually rapid) at which something happens
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
footingnounUS /ˈfʊtɪŋ/
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
heavieradjectiveUS /ˈheviər/
comparative of “heavy” — of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
IslenounUS /aɪl/
a small island
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
JerseynounUS /ˈdʒɜːrzi/
a Mid-Atlantic state on the Atlantic; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
long-boats
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/
completely unclothed
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
not any; not one
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
and nothing more
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
piratesnounUS /ˈpaɪrəts/
plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
ratsnounUS /ræts/
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
shapesnounUS /ʃeɪps/
plural of “shape” — any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/
one of the twelve Apostles (first century)
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
slayverbUS /sleɪ/
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
in the near future
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
spiedverbUS /spaɪd/
inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
spiesnounUS /spaɪz/
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
be standing; be upright
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Up the cliff they clambered, and soon spied us in our fastness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Of our battle on the rocks of _Jersey Isle_, and how _Simon_ gave up his life, and how I was taken captive and brought back.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading I had no doubt of their errand, for each man had a great ugly naked weapon in his hand, such as we bore ourselves, only heavier.
in or at the place that
From this reading The pirates had put off in two long-boats, and in a short space of time entered the creek, and climbed across our boat to shore--if shore it could be called, where the rocks stood broken into such strange and rude shapes, and where the footing amid them was so rough.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Come out, ye spies," they shouted; "come out, cursed rats, or we will come and slay you where you stand."
